1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulating apparatus and method for manufacturing and, more particularly, pertains to an insulating container label and wrap, and method of manufacturing the label and wrap.
2. Description of Related Art
It has become generally accepted in the trade that beverage container holders are insulated, disposable and supplied with graphics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,497 describes a disposable cup holder that can be stored flat and then assembled by a user to fit around a cup whereby a first and second cut located on a first and second end of the label interlock. The resulting cup and holder combination increases the insulation value of the cup. The holder, designed to thermally insulate the hand of a user from the liquid held in the cup, is constructed of pressed paper pulp.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,391 shows a multi-piece hand held insulating holder for beverage cans and the like which has an interior wall spaced from the beverage can, while still positioning the can securely within the holder, and which has a recessed outer panel for receiving advertisement imprints. The insulating holder, constructed of a vinyl polymer or other suitable polymeric material, implements air space for insulating purposes. The holder, due to its size and shape, must be packaged in substantially the same form as it would be used. Therefore, a retailer, selling drinks in cups that would use the holder, would require a significant amount of space to shelve and store them for immediate use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,238 discloses a method for manufacturing a thermoplastic container with a heat shrinkable label consisting of a foam polystyrene sheet whereby a printing process is applied to the sheet to produce a label. The sheet may further be laminated with a polystyrene film. The label is fixed on a beverage container during the process for manufacturing the container. In order to integrate the label with the container, sufficient force is applied to stretch it. Subsequently, a furnace provides heat to shrink the label to adhere to the container.
In contrast, the present invention permits the application of an insulating label to a pre-manufactured container while at the same time providing a label that carries high quality graphics created by the implementation of a multiple print process. The insulated label or wrap of the present invention may be an integral part of the container or re-usable. If the insulated label of the present invention is integral to the container, standard label applying techniques may be used.
The general purpose of this invention is to provide an insulating label and wrap that can be applied either as an insulating wrap on a variety of beverage containers, or may be used as the label on a container as an integral part of the container, using a manufacturing process for the label and wrap that is basically the same for both. According to the invention, this is accomplished in a simple and straightforward manner with a minimum of equipment and minimum of processing steps. The preferred method of making the labels uses modified conventional apparatus. The method of producing an after-market applied container wrap utilizes adhesive backed paper/plastic stock having a first face capable of receiving ink, and a second face lined with an adhesive covered by a release liner. Adhesive backed paper is a relatively inexpensive and commonly available product that is simple to handle and readily utilized to form the present insulated labels or wraps. The adhesive backed paper/plastic stock is unwound from a supply roll in a continuous run, passed through a plurality of separate printing stations for printing a multi-color pattern in a plurality of windows on the roll stock. The release liner is removed exposing the adhesive on the stock. A thin foam layer is brought into contact with the adhesive side of the paper stock to mate with the exposed adhesive. If a container wrap is being made, a portion of the release liner, along one edge, is left on the stock. A clear film laminate seals the printed side of the stock. A cutter cuts the resulting laminate web into a plurality of wraps or individual labels. If desired the labels may be taken up on a continuous web on a roll, rather than cut into individual labels.
The multi-layered label or wrap produced from this method comprises a layer of ink on a stock substrate, an adhesive layer holding a foam layer and a clear film or coating to seal in the ink layer. This product may be applied to a container as a permanent integral label by standard label adhesives using standard labeling techniques such as gluing, or may be used as an after-market insulating wrap for a variety of different containers by utilizing an adhesive strip at one edge of the label.